C. psittacus: Current status: Valid as Colomesus psittacus (Bloch & Schneider 1801). Tetraodontidae. Distribution: Western Atlantic: French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. Habitat: marine, brackish, rarely freshwater. Larger than C. asellus.
C.semispinosus: Species inquirenda in Tetraodontidae -- (Kullander in Reis et al. 2003:670 [CoF ref. 27061]). Current status: Uncertain as Colomesus psittacus
Six dark bars across the dorsum from the interorbital to the caudal peduncle ; no dark bar on underside of caudal peduncle ; pectoral fin rays (not including the obscure skin covered rudiment at dorsal edge of pectoral base) 17 to 19, mostly 18 ; no dermal flaps across the chin. Marine and brackish water , rarely freshwater Colomesus psittacus (Bloch & Schneider 1801)
Five dark bars across the dorsum from the interorbital to the caudal peduncle ; a dark bar on underside of caudal peduncle ; like that on its dorsal surface and sometimes confluent with it ; pectoral fin rays( not including rudiment) 13 to 16, mostly 14 or 15 ; dermal flaps present transversely across the chin.Freshwater Colomesus asellus (Mόller & Troschel 1849)